Guzmania plant named ‘Celina’

ABSTRACT

A Guzmania plant named ‘Celina’ characterized by having vigorous plant with long arching leaves; variegated foliage with a reddish-pink and cream-white linear band and a few green striations; and inflorescence with red scape bracts and yellow and red floral bracts which is slightly compressed where the primary bracts are positioned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmaniaplant, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Celina’. The genusGuzmania is a member of the family Bromeliaceae.

Guzmania is predominantly epiphytic with a few terrestrial species andis native to the tropics. For the most part, species vary in diameterfrom 7 or 8 inches to 3 or 4 feet and have rosettes of glossy,smooth-edged leaves.

Floral bracts of Guzmania frequently have brilliant colors and may lastfor many months. The range of colors for Guzmania is generally fromyellow through orange but may also include flame red and red-purple.White or yellow, tubular, three-petalled flowers may also appear on astem or within the leaf rosette but are usually short-lived.

Guzmania may be advantageously grown as pot plants for greenhouse orhome use. Desirably, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight, andduring the spring to autumn period, the central vase-like part of theleaf rosette is desirably filled with water.

Guzmania is native to tropical America. Leaves of Guzmania are usuallyformed as basal rosettes, which are stiff and entire and in severalvertical ranks. Guzmania plants have terminal spikes or panicles whichare often bracted with petals united in a tube about as long as thecalyx. The ovary is superior and the seeds plumose.

Asexual propagation of Guzmania is frequently done through the use oftissue culture practices. Propagation can also be from offshootsproduced by the plant which may then be rooted. The resulting plantletsare detached from the mother plant and may be potted in a suitablegrowing mixture.

The new cultivar was discovered as a naturally occurring mutation amongplants of the parent cultivar ‘Gisela G24’ (unpatented), which is anon-variegated Guzmania plant. The female parent of ‘Gisela G24’ wasGuzmania ‘Magnifica’ (unpatented). The male parent of ‘Gisela G24’ wasan unnamed and unpatented plant of Guzmania zahnii. ‘Celina’ wasdiscovered and selected among plants of the cultivar ‘Gisela G24’ by theinventor, Reginald Deroose, in 1987 in a controlled environment inEvergem, Belgium.

‘Celina’ is characterized by its medium to large plant size and itsvariegation on the leaves that is a linear band of reddish-pink at thesheath becoming creamy white at one-third of the leaf. The inflorescenceis red with yellow and the part where the primary bracts are positionedis slightly compressed.

The first act of asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performedby the inventor in 1987, from offshoots produced by the plant.Horticultural examination of these asexually reproduced plants initiatedin 1987 has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for ‘Celina’ are firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Celina’ which in combination distinguishthis Guzmania as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Vigorous plant with long arching leaves;

2. Variegated foliage with a reddish-pink and cream-white linear bandand a few green striations; and

3. Inflorescence with red scape bracts and yellow and red floral bractsand slightly compressed where the primary bracts are positioned.

‘Celina’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantlywhen grown under different conditions of temperature, light and otherdetermining factors without any change in genotype.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to ‘Celina’ is the parental cultivar Guzmania‘Gisela G24’. The inflorescence and plant shape of ‘Celina’ are similarto the inflorescence and plant shape of ‘Gisela G24’. However, theleaves of ‘Celina’ are strongly variegated whereas ‘Gisela G24’ hasentirely green leaves. The leaves of ‘Celina’ are also more archingwhereas ‘Giseala G24’ has more erect leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration shows a perspective view ofthe foliage and inflorescence characteristics of a typical ‘Celina’plant following growth under appropriate growing conditions, with colorsbeing as true as possible with illustrations of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plantsgrown in Evergem, Belgium, under greenhouse conditions which closelyapproximate those generally used in horticultural practice. The plantdescribed is approximately 13 months old from a 25 cm long cutting, fora plant height of 50 cm. Color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), except where general colorsof ordinary significance are used.

Classification:

Commercial.—Guzmania c.v. ‘Celina’.

Species.—Guzmania ‘Celina’ is a variegated mutation of Guzmania ‘GiselaG24’; Guzmania ‘Gisela G24’ is Guzmania ‘Magnifica’ (cultivar oflingulata v. cardinalis×lingulata minor)×Guzmania zahnii.

Parentage: Naturally occurring mutation of Guzmania ‘Gisela G24’.

Propagation: Vegetative, by removal of offsets.

Plant:

Form.—Funnel-form rosette.

Height.—Approximately 45-50 cm when in full bloom.

Diameter.—Approximately 90-95 cm.

Growth habit.—Vigorous, it takes approximately 13 months to produce afinished flowering plant from a 25 cm long cutting, in a standard heatedgreenhouse with temperatures during the day of 20 degrees Celsius, and18 degrees Celsius at night.

Foliage:

Habit.—Arcuate spreading, standing up at an angle of 45° and bendingdownwards from the middle.

Size.—Approximately 45-55 cm long.

Leaf sheaths.—Elliptic, 7 cm wide; glabrous surface; margins are entireand green (RHS 147A), striations and suffused with red (RHS 59A); centeris reddish-pink (RHS 58A to 63C) with a few irregularly green striations(RHS 147A); (all color designations are for both upper and lowersurfaces).

Leaf blades.—Ligulate, glabrous surface; apex is acute to attenuate,2.0-3.5 cm wide, variegated from one-half to two-thirds of the leafsurface. Margins are entire and green (RHS 147A) with cream toyellow-green center (RHS 160B) with a few irregularly green striations(RHS 147A). The leaves on the scape have a pinker center (approximatelyRHS 58D); (all color designations are for both upper and lowersurfaces).

Scape.—Round, approximately 45-50 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.

Scape bracts.—10, acute to attenuate apex, margin entire, glabroussurface, imbricate, foliaceous, concealing the scape, arcuate spreading,5-10 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, variegation similar to the leaves. Scapebracts gradually become primary bracts from the bottom to the top withappearance of red coloring of the bracts, reddish-pink (color varyingbetween RHS 48A and RHS 48B) to red (RHS 46B) (Color designationsrepresent both upper and lower surfaces).

Number of leaves.—Approximately 30 to 40.

Inflorescence:

Habit.—Spike, round, approximately 10-12 cm in diameter, the part wherethe primary bracts are positioned is slightly compressed withapproximately 12 spirally arranged bracts that end at an angle of 45° to90°.

Primary bracts.—20, elliptic shape, margin is entire, sessile base, apexis acute to attenuate, 5-6 cm long and 1.5-2.0 cm wide; red (RHS 46B)(Both surfaces).

Floral bracts.—1 floral bract per flower, elliptic shape, cucullateapex, sessile base, margin is entire, approximately 1 cm wide, floralbracts are closely folded around the flowers, 3.5 cm long and 1.5-2.0 cmwide; top is yellow (RHS 7A) and the base is red (RHS 34A); (all colorsare for both upper and lower surfaces).

Flowers.—Diameter: 5 mm. Length: 1.5-2 cm. Sepals: 3, yellow (RHS 6A)(Both surfaces); elliptic shape; approximtely 1.2-2 cm long; 5 cm wide;sessile base; margin is entire; acute apex. Petals: 3, yellow (RHS 15C)(Both surfaces); shape is elliptic; approximately 0.8-1.2 cm long, 3-5mm wide, obtuse apex, margin entire, partially fused at the base.Stamens: 6 per flower, approximately 1.8 cm long, 1 style with 3 lobedstigma per flower, lower parts of filaments fused with corolla. Pistils:3 per flower, approximately 2.5 cm long.

Duration of flowers.—Individual flowers last for one day and the totalduration of flowering is approximately 12 weeks.

Buds.—Elliptic shape, approximately 1.5-2 cm long, 4-5 mm diameter,yellow (RHS 15C).

Other significant characteristics: The inflorescence holds its color forapproximately 5-7 months.

Pollen: No known pollen produced.

Fruit: No fruit produced.

Disease/pest resistance/susceptibility: No specific resistance orsusceptibility observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Guzmania plant named ‘Celina’substantially as illustrated and described herein.